Chandigarh Metro must link neighbouring cities to be viable, says Kataria
'Not feasible to dig up the entire city for a Metro corridor'
A Metro project limited to Chandigarh or the Tricity alone would not be viable unless it is connected to major neighbouring cities such as Ambala and Rajpura, stated UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria here today.
Citing the example of Metro in Jaipur, Kataria said the authorities were not even able to recover the interest on the investment, making it financially unviable.
Addressing mediapersons at the Chandigarh Press Club, Kataria said keeping in view the city’s heritage status and Supreme Court directions, it was not feasible to dig up the entire city for a Metro corridor. He said he had conveyed to Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar that instead of restricting the Metro to Chandigarh, it should be planned in a way that connects adjoining cities, with pick-up and drop points located outside the city.
Kataria said that at the same cost as the Metro project, free or high-frequency bus services could be provided, which would help ease traffic congestion. He said the city has already received 25 buses and will get a total of 100 buses, with plans to run them every 10 to 15 minutes. “Even if the Administration has to bear losses, we will work in that direction for public convenience,” he said.
The Administrator further said the Chandigarh Metro project was currently under review and the Administration had been asked to carry out a detailed study on its viability before taking any final decision. Kataria said the UT Administration would provide free textbooks up to Class XII to students of government schools from the upcoming academic session.
On civic infrastructure, Kataria said that old underground water pipelines in the city would be mapped and replaced. However, he clarified that the city does not require 24-hour water supply, adding that the current morning and evening supply is sufficient.
Responding to questions, Kataria said issues related to ownership rights, ‘lal dora’ demarcation and floor-wise registration would take time to resolve. He also expressed support for extending the tenure of the Chandigarh mayor, saying the existing one-year term is too short for meaningful development work.
Kataria also extended support for an anti-defection law at the municipal level and said nominated councillors should not have voting rights. He said elected councillors alone should exercise voting powers, and the number of nominated councillors should not exceed 10% of the total strength of the House.
Putting an end to speculation over police cadre appointments, Kataria said Chandigarh would continue to have an SSP from the Punjab cadre and that the existing 60:40 officer ratio between Punjab and Haryana was being followed.
When the issue of suppression of the media’s voice in Punjab was raised by Chandigarh Press Club president Saurabh Duggal, Kataria firmly stood by the freedom of speech of journalists. He said that no one could suppress the voice of the media and that such attempts might succeed only briefly.
